Advice Needed: Points on Solicitor's Report for Property

Theoneandonlyme

Hi

We are due to be exchanging and completing on a property in a few week's time.
The Homebuyers report has come back in and raised a few points.  My other half doesn't seem too concerned by them but I'm unsure as to what we need to do/where we need to go/investigate next...Please offer advice.


1) Mentions a FloodScore insurance rating of High for groundwater flooding.  No event has happened for years but it is a statistical risk which as been compiled by the insurance company.  What does this mean?  Best place to go to from here.

2) Moderate high risk of natural ground stability - again not based on any events but from British Geological Survey's GeoSure database.  There are no natural signs of subsidence in the area or as far as we can tell in the properties nearby.

3) The property is near a brick field which was infilled in 1876.  Should this be of concern?

4)  There is an electricity pylon 255m from the property.  As we have children I am concerned about the risks to their health.  I'm aware that the readings drop off the further away you are.  Should I be concerned?

My husband wants to send back the contracts soon but I want to make sure I'm happy with it all and understand what it all means.  It is a lovely house with lots of promise (it's a fixer-upper!) and in a residential neighbourhood.  I like it but when I saw the report I became worried!

Thanks so much  

princeofpounds

Don't worry about the pylons from a health perspective. The evidence for any problems is very weak. The link below is a fairly good summary of the situation as things stand. They are probably more of a concern in terms of resale hassle.

https://www.tennet.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Company/Publications/Corporate_Brochures/Living_near_High-Voltage_Installations.pdf

Similarly, if you aren't on or next to the brickfield, don't worry about it. It's just a pit that would have been filled in, not like a coal mine with tunnels underground.

My guess with the moderate-high risk (along with the brick field) is that you are on clay, perhaps near to a sandy region. IIRC, much of London is in this category. It's probably fine as long as you have the property surveyed.

Flooding... well, you said it, it's a statistical risk. May mean more costly insurance. But I'm afraid I'm no expert on this.

Theoneandonlyme

Thank you, I'll have a look at the report and show it to my husband.

The brickfield is 25m away and yes I think the soil is clay, so probably not too much of a concern.

I'll have al look at the report though - I appreciate that.  Thanks

davidmcn

princeofpounds said:

Don't worry about the pylons from a health perspective. The evidence for any problems is very weak. The link below is a fairly good summary of the situation as things stand. They are probably more of a concern in terms of resale hassle.

Though not really if they're 255m away. Might be different if they were looming over the back fence.

greatcrested

Have you got quotes for insurane? If not, do so.

That will give you a good idea both of what it will cost you, but also of what insurers think of the flood risk.

Most of London is on clay and hence "Moderate high risk of natural ground stability". People live there in their millions.....

Theoneandonlyme

I'm in the process of getting insurance quotes now.  Hopefully that'll shed some light further for us too.

Thank you.

Theoneandonlyme

Also found out that the Pylon is 132V (I think that's a lower power pylon) and transmission base  - I don't know if that makes a difference?

AdrianC

Theoneandonlyme said:

Also found out that the Pylon is 132V (I think that's a lower power pylon) and transmission base  - I don't know if that makes a difference?

It won't be 132 volts.
132kV - 132,000 volts...

That's the second-highest voltage used, so regional distribution. Big steel pylons, but not the HUGE ones.

davidmcn

Theoneandonlyme said:

Also found out that the Pylon is 132V (I think that's a lower power pylon) and transmission base  - I don't know if that makes a difference?

Can you even see them from the house?

DayDreamerandGeneralWaster

I doubt it is high flood risk because it's on clay. My property is on clay and is not a high flood risk.
Groundwater risk means exactly that, water from the ground, so potentially there is a acquifer with a high level close to the property.

TripleH

Theoneandonlyme said:

Thank you, I'll have a look at the report and show it to my husband.

The brickfield is 25m away and yes I think the soil is clay, so probably not too much of a concern.

I'll have al look at the report though - I appreciate that.  Thanks

My parents' house was built next to what was an old clay quarry (no idea of terminology) that was subsequently filled in with rubbish and has long been grassed over. The only issue their house ever had was summer 1976 and movement which required underpinning (sorry brain again gone). The house is over 150 yrs old and the foundations go at least 2m down. The point is that if the house is old it probably was built better than a lot of modern homes and if the structural survey picked up nothing serious, that's as reasuring as you (me if I was in your position) would need. 
These days there are caveats purely so if in 12 months time something comes to light that no professional at the time of the work could reasonably be expected to find, you can't sue them for not knowing something they couldn't be expected to know. (Sorry if that is confusing, its been 1 of those weeks).